Afghanistan/Pakistan: Earthquake - Oct 2015

Glide: EQ-2015-000147-AFG

Overview

Around 13:40 local time (UTC +4:30) on 26 October 2015, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Badakhshan Province in the north-east region of Afghanistan. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake’s epicentre was 82 km southeast of Feyzabad in the Hindu Kush mountain range and 213 km in depth. The quakes impact was felt beyond Afghanistan as damages and casualties have been reported in the western part of Pakistan while minor damage occurred in India. (IFRC, 2 Nov 2015)

In Afghanistan, Assessment reports indicate 117 deaths, 544 people injured, 12,794 homes damaged and 7,384 houses destroyed. Furthermore, 136,967 people are still in need of humanitarian assistance, of which 131,345 people have received some form of assistance so far date. More than 51,000 people were affected in Badakhshan alone, where property damage was most extensive. The earthquake claimed the most lives and caused the most casualties in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces. Access remains the most significant challenge in providing assistance to people in need and is an issue reaching at least 194 villages affected by the earthquake. (IFRC, 15 Dec 2015)

28 MILLION PEOPLE FORCIBLY DISPLACED BY CONFLICT AND DISASTERS IN 2015 AND MILLIONS MORE STILL INVISIBLE: IDMC NEW REPORT HIGHLIGHTS GLOBAL CRISIS OF INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT

Conflict, violence and disasters internally displaced 27.8 million people in 2015, subjecting a record number of men, women and children to the trauma and upheaval of being forcibly displaced within their own country.

Somalia: On 15 March Al Shabaab moved into Puntland and seized control of Garad, a port town. In the following days Al Shabaab captured another coastal town in Nugaal region and attacked a security checkpoint near Bosaso. Most of the residents are reported to have fled the area. Al Shabaab has previously been active in Puntland, but generally around its base of the Galgala Mountains, west of Bosaso, and it has not attempted to take territory.

Yemen: Insecurity in Aden is increasing, with attacks carried out on civilian targets. At least 150 people have been reported killed in the past three months, including at least 50 in March. Humanitarian actors have increasing difficulty to carry out operations. In Taizz, the west of the city has been taken by pro-Hadi forces after heavy fighting: fighting for the east continues.

Malawi and Mozambique: Flooding and drought have led to the most severe food crisis Malawi has faced in a decade: 2.8 million people face acute food insecurity, including 900,000 facing Crisis (IPC Phase 3) food security outcomes. In Mozambique, an estimated 600,000 people are in Crisis due to drought. In addition, 9,300 Mozambicans in Malawi who fled armed conflict need WASH, health and shelter assistance.

Swaziland: At least 300,000 people – one-third of the population – are in dire need of assistance, specifically of food and water. Poor and erratic rainfall as a result of El Niño dates back to 2014, and Swaziland has been experiencing significant reductions in crop production.

DRC: More than 35,000 people have lost shelter in Zongo, Sud-Ubangi, due to forest fires that have been affecting the territory since mid-December. The fires have destroyed over 2,600 hectares of crops. Assistance delivery is hampered by bad road conditions between Gemena and Zongo.

Pakistan: Over 190 children have died and 22,000 have been hospitalised in Tharparkar district in 2016 because of drought-related waterborne and viral diseases. Tharparkar is facing severe drought for the fourth consecutive year, and access to health services is reported to be very difficult, with families travelling an average distance of 17km to reach the nearest health facility.

Syria: The military offensive in Aleppo governorate has displaced more than 40,000 people since late January, and the number of displaced is reported to be increasing. There is concern that a siege of opposition-held areas of Aleppo city is imminent. An estimated 20,000 newly displaced Syrians are stuck at the Bab al Salam crossing along the Syria–Turkey border, as Turkey has denied them entry into Turkish territory.

Boko Haram in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Chad: 86 people were killed and 62 injured, with 15 missing after Boko Haram set fire to Dalori, near Maiduguri in Borno state. The past week also saw attacks in Chibok that left 13 dead and 30 injured. 40 civilians were reported dead after Cameroonian troops announced they were carrying out a search for BH militants in the area. In Cameroon, 52 people were killed in BH attacks in January. In Chad, two suicide bombings in Lac region left three dead and 56 wounded.

Burundi: As the security situation continues to deteriorate, the UN Security Council has expressed concern over possible mass atrocities and ethnic violence. Clashes continues in several areas of the country. Burundian refugees in DRC expressed fears over possible cross-border attacks by government forces.

Nigeria: An outbreak of Lassa viral haemorrhagic fever was announced in Nigeria on 8 January. At least 140 suspected cases and 30 confirmed cases, including 53 deaths, have been reported in 14 states. The indicated case fatality rate stands at 37.9%.

Gambia: Almost 182,000 people (9% of the population) are severely food insecure after erratic rains caused drought and crop failure. Most affected regions are Upper River, West Coast, and Northern Bank.

DRC: Violence between Hutu and Nande, in Miriki, Lubero, Nord-Kivu, allegedly over land, has left 17 dead and over 20,000 displaced. The displaced urgently need food and drinking water.

Iraq: In Ramadi and Hawija, Islamic State has stalled civilians’ attempts to escape conflict zones and persecution. People from Hawija must trek for two days across mountainous terrain to reach safety: 60 people were reported to have died on the journey between November 2015 and January 2016.

Zimbabwe: A poor 2014/2015 harvest coupled with delayed onset of rains this cropping season have left 1.5 million people facing food insecurity from January through March 2016. Government maize stocks are dangerously low and humanitarian food assistance plans underfunded. Over 850,000 people urgently require assistance.

Cameroon: 2.9 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. 2.4 million are in need of protection assistance, predominantly in the Far North Region. The government has reportedly urged men to join self-defence groups in the northern areas affected by Boko Haram. The same reports suggest the government has made provisions in its 2016 budget to support the self-defence groups.

Jordan: 11,400 Syrian asylum seekers are currently stranded at the border with Jordan, after a recent surge in violence has driven new displacement, doubling the number at the border since October. They face urgent humanitarian and protection needs. The Jordanian Government has increasingly restricted movement across the border since 2013.

Cameroon: New data indicate that 158,316 people are internally displaced – this is 65,000 more than the previous estimate. The vast majority have been displaced by Boko Haram-related violence, with fewer than 15% displaced by flooding and other natural disasters. Movement stays within Far North region, and Logone-et-Chari hosts around 60% of all IDPs.

Somalia: Flooding has affected 132,000 people and displaced an estimated 60,000 as low-lying areas of Mogadishu have now been inundated, as well as areas of Middle Shabelle and Lower Juba. Main supply roads are impassable and some airstrips unusable The middle and lower reaches of the Shabelle River remain at high risk of flooding.